August 30, 2019
Rep. Smith tour: Farmers concerned about prices, fair competition
QULIN — “Farmers are some of the biggest gamblers in the world, and one thing about it, four out of four people eat, so whether it’s our livestock producers or our row crop farmers, they’re feeding us,” U.S. Rep. Jason Smith told several agriculture producers gathered earlier this week, during a visit to Wright Brothers Farms near Qulin...
QULIN — “Farmers are some of the biggest gamblers in the world, and one thing about it, four out of four people eat, so whether it’s our livestock producers or our row crop farmers, they’re feeding us,” U.S. Rep. Jason Smith told several agriculture producers gathered earlier this week, during a visit to Wright Brothers Farms near Qulin.
“Agriculture is our No. 1 economy, and our district is the most diverse in the State of Missouri. We grow everything,” he emphasized.
Smith was making his 27th of 30 stops in Missouri’s 8th District as part of his annual summer farm tour to learn about the needs and issues agriculture producers face.
Other stops have included pallet mills, cotton farms, sheep and goat farms, beef cattle farms and wineries, among others.
Several issues repeatedly are brought up by farmers, Smith said, including commodity price fluctuations, health care and a weak workforce.
“We’re looking for the old-time, steady and true market instead of MSP payments and subsidies,” fifth-generation farmer Chris Wright told Smith. “Just give us a strong market to market our grain instead of a low market and paying us back with government subsidies.”
Currently, Smith noted, many farmers are reimbursed by the Trump Administration’s market Stabilization Program, designed to “alleviate the pain in the commodity prices because of what’s going on with China’s tariff’s on U.S. grain products. They’re saying it helps, but that’s not what they want. They want the trade agreements resolved and to compete normally.
“Our farmers can compete anywhere in the world if we’re on a level playing field, but the consistency is what’s really affecting them.”
Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, who also was at Wright Brothers Farms, agreed.
“The biggest thing I hear is about price fluctuations,” Kehoe, a cattle farmer himself, said. “The beef market has fluctuated a lot lately without a lot of explanation. In the old days, they could put a finger on weather systems, floods or droughts that would result in different prices. These days, they can’t do that.”
Health care is another much-discussed topic Smith said hears about.
“Health care isn’t necessarily agriculture related, but most of our farmers are self employed” and the costs are high, Smith said.
He cited an example from a Carter County stop earlier this week when he was shown a drug costing $28,000 each month.
“That’s absolutely absurd,” he said, “and I want to look into this.”
The question, he said, is how can the system be changed?
Another constant Smith hears from farmers is a lack of people who want to work, something Chris Wright said is his main issue.
“Finding good, clean help is a problem,” Wright told Smith, while noting drug use is one of the biggest problems he must deal with when trying to find laborers.
It’s an issue Kehoe also has heard many times.
“People say business is good, but they can’t find anybody to work,” he said.
Smith noted nearly 70 government programs “make it easier for people not to work.”
Smith’s farm tour wrapped up Friday with a stop in New Madrid before he heads back to Washington for the next session of Congress.
“The president wants to know what the people are thinking, so I’ll compile a report and we’ll try to figure out what issues we can do something about,” he said.
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